Nitrogen: A Global Challenge - Air, Water, Soil
Human population is surging towards 10 billion, food, water, climate and energy security are at risk. Nitrogen could be our life raft.
The reason why I have included this course on my educational website is that online courses I thought via this platform are more technically oriented and it is prerequisite to have at least BSc in some technical field. Even then, one need to dive deeper into the environmental science to better understand interaction between different medai (air, water, soil) and other environmental components of the system.
This
online course by University of Edinburgh is a great way to learn more
about nitrogen in environment, in all three media, air, water and
soil. Really unique and not too hard course to follow.
Summary of the course
Human population is surging towards 10 billion, food, water, climate and energy security are at risk. Nitrogen could be our life raft in this global 'perfect storm'. Get it right and it can help feed billions. Get it wrong and it will make things worse.
This innovative course, regardless of your background, will teach you core concepts about nitrogen and global change, allowing you to better understand the challenges and opportunities it represents. Key topics include food security, climate change, air pollution, water pollution, human health and more.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites.
Syllabus
Week 1: Global Nitrogen Challenge
Introduction to nitrogen, its uses, and overview of its role in global food production, pollution and climate change
Week 2: Nitrogen and Agriculture
Introduction to the nitrogen cycle, history of nitrogen use for food production, interactions with climate change, future challenges for food security
Week 3: Nitrogen and Air Pollution
How nitrogen causes local and global air pollution, its impacts, trends and future challenges
Week 4: Nitrogen and Water
How nitrogen gets into our water, impacts on freshwater and the oceans, risks to ecosystems and human health
Week 5: Nitrogen Solutions
Improving nitrogen use in agriculture, smart food choices, tackling air and water pollution, integrated management
- Learn about the global nitrogen challenge, how nitrogen has helped human civilization to develop, and how its misuse now threatens us
- Discover how fundamental nitrogen is to agriculture and food security
- Understand the role of nitrogen in air pollution and its impact on human health
- Learn how nitrogen can pollute our water and the risks that then arise
- Examine the solutions to the global challenges of nitrogen and how we can better manage this precious element
Your Instructor
This online course on Nitrogen: A Global Challenge was created through an international research collaboration across a number of research institutions in the UK and India.
Course Curriculum
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StartLesson 2.1 - The nitrogen cycle (2:45)
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StartLesson 2.2 - Evolution of nitrogen use in agriculture (3:51)
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StartLesson 2.3 - Differences in nitrogen use across the world (4:44)
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StartLesson 2.4 - Role of agricultural nitrogen in climate change (3:06)
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StartLesson 2.5 - Future challenges for food production (5:12)
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StartLesson 3.1 - How does nitrogen contribute to local air pollution? (8:17)
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StartLesson 3.2 - Impacts of local air pollution (9:31)
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StartLesson 3.3 - Air pollution health impacts (5:44)
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StartLesson 3.4 - Global trends in air pollution
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StartLesson 3.5 - Future challenges in air pollution (2:08)